Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Author Robert Burgett, the historian who delves into analysis and legal research, has written "1803: Constitutional Intent for Electing the Presidency: How the Twelfth Amendment Failed to Anticipate the Rise of Competing National Parties" in the light of past and present day politics. Back in 1803, when this nation had only existed for a few decades and a two-vote majority decided Presidential elections with the winner becoming President and the runner-up becoming President of the Senate, Congress passed the Twelfth Amendment which the author contends was an assault on states' rights. On page 91, Burgett states that "Congress should have realized the 12th Amendment's ineptness and promoted its repeal". He discusses the effect of states' rights and slavery on Presidential elections through the Civil War years and beyond. Burgett notes on page 102 that "In the 1860 election, southern states did not allow the electors to even think about voting for Lincoln; his name did not appear on ballots."

Robert Burgett has written an interesting, very profound and scholarly book on the negative effects that the Twelfth Amendment had on the United States and the rise of political parties and regional interests as the years passed. His careful use of footnotes is a positive technique as he cites historic persons and their words from United States history. His organization skill is first-rate as he goes from introducing what happened in the early years of our country onto the threat of secession in the pre-Civil War years and the rise of national political parties as our country grew and as more states were added to the union. The appendix at the book's end gives the reader words from our founding fathers, rules for electing a President, Articles 1, 2, and 3 of our Constitution, the actual words of Article 12, and Senator John Taylor's 1820 view of the Missouri Compromise. "1803" will provide scholars with a field day of pros and cons on the 12th Amendment.